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Fitness |OT| A New Era Begins
- Thread starter EssBeeVee
- Start date
I haven't changed any of my workouts and I've been doing similar stuff since about March. Started running after lifting weights about a week and a half ago.
Has anyone else gotten pain under their right scapula when doing certain movements? I can feel some pain under my scapula when I rotate my neck left or right. The neck itself doesn't hurt and my mobility isn't limited. If it's not better by Monday or Tuesday I'm going to my GP and seeing if I need to do anything further.
And yeah, I'm taking 4 days off from the gym to see if that helps.
Has anyone else gotten pain under their right scapula when doing certain movements? I can feel some pain under my scapula when I rotate my neck left or right. The neck itself doesn't hurt and my mobility isn't limited. If it's not better by Monday or Tuesday I'm going to my GP and seeing if I need to do anything further.
And yeah, I'm taking 4 days off from the gym to see if that helps.
Hi new guy here! I was thinking about starting working out to improve my body and also to have more self-confidence. I read the OP and I'm kinda indecided on what would be the best routine to start with. I've never worked out or even played sports so my physique is kinda weak. Also I was wondering if I should start training at home or go directly to the gym. I am kinda afraid of going to the gym because I really don't have any self-confidence and I always have the fear of being judged, even if I know that nobody is actually going to bully me :P
Will gladly appreciate any help!
Age: 18
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Goal: Don't really have one, just to improve my body in general.
Will gladly appreciate any help!
Age: 18
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Goal: Don't really have one, just to improve my body in general.
Pretty much any beginner routine will work, id go to the gym if you could. Also nobody at the gym cares if youre lifting 5 lbs or 500 lbs, they're preoccupied with their own training.
Shit, I've really been undervaluing chalk. Never used to use it because I don't want my strength to get way ahead of what I can grip (practically I guess). How foolish I am. A slipping grip became rock solid and I was able to do my lifts easy. I am converted! Praise the chalk!
I'm really struggling to get the recommended amount of protein. Did a bit of research, and it seems I should be eating between .5 and .8 grams of protein per pound body weight. I'm 200 pounds so that's at least 100 grams of protein per day. The only way I've been able to do this is 1 cup cottage cheese for breakfast (25 grams), 2 of those tyson grilled ready chicken breasts (48 grams), and some sort of meat for dinner. Feel like all I'm doing is eating meat now, and that's just to hit the minimum of 100 grams. How the heck am I going to hit 160 grams without protein powder?
Also, been 3 weeks now at the gym lifting on the machines. A lot of the machines like chest press etc say I should be working out my chest muscles, but during the exercise I don't feel anything on those muscles. Feels like my arms are doing all the work. Is this normal?
Also, been 3 weeks now at the gym lifting on the machines. A lot of the machines like chest press etc say I should be working out my chest muscles, but during the exercise I don't feel anything on those muscles. Feels like my arms are doing all the work. Is this normal?
It's not unusual for your shoulders and triceps to be giving out before your chest on a pressing machine. Thats why alot of people recommend a dedicated arm day for beginners.
Why don't you use protein powder? Most people I know that lift use it. It's one of the most cost-effective way of getting the protein you need and without any hassle.
I get most of mine from real food (thankfully I'm a pretty good cook), but yeah, even I hit a protein bar from time to time.
Protein numbers are arbitrary anyway. Every fitness person I've read or watched has a different target number. Common answers are 0.8 grams per pound of body weight, 0.8 grams per pound of lean body mass and 1 gram per pound of body weight. My opinion is to just eat normal food and see where things land because your body isn't a calculator. Also my opinion, but supplements should supplement a healthy diet plan and not be an integral part of said diet. If you can add milk to a powder, surely you can just drink the milk and save fifty - sixty bucks a tub...but its your moolah, spend it on what you want.
I wouldn't say it's arbitrary. There's plenty of research showing that a high protein intake is beneficial to muscle growth.
Personally I want to eat normal food and simply add on a protein shake to get that extra protein I need for optimal growth rather than focus on eating meat and eggs and beans and whatnot. I'd hate to leave gains on the table just because I don't want to spend that little extra on protein powder. I calculated a few normal days of eating for me and I wasn't even close to hitting the target.
Current Routine Setup; I call it Competition 25/8
Days: Chest, Back, Shoulder, Arm, Legs
Four Exercises @ Reps: 25, 15, 8, 8, 8, Reduced Weight Burnout
After completing Michael Counihan's training routine this is the routine I came up with that better suited my needs. I find it to be a better mixture of high reps intensity and heavy weights intensity.
Sidenote: The foam-roller (full and half) during bench based exercise (or as a replacement) has changed all my movements and results for the better. For example; When using the the Hammer Strength Incline, Decline, or Wide Press I place the half foam-roller on the beach as it keeps my chest up and shoulder back which engages more of the chest. I also use the half roller when doing dumbbell incline curls to avoid swing the weight and using too much shoulder. Performing the flat bench dumbbell press I've complete eliminated the beach and use the full foam roller; this helps engage the core, but it also great for those seeking benches when the gym is packed.
Days: Chest, Back, Shoulder, Arm, Legs
Four Exercises @ Reps: 25, 15, 8, 8, 8, Reduced Weight Burnout
After completing Michael Counihan's training routine this is the routine I came up with that better suited my needs. I find it to be a better mixture of high reps intensity and heavy weights intensity.
Sidenote: The foam-roller (full and half) during bench based exercise (or as a replacement) has changed all my movements and results for the better. For example; When using the the Hammer Strength Incline, Decline, or Wide Press I place the half foam-roller on the beach as it keeps my chest up and shoulder back which engages more of the chest. I also use the half roller when doing dumbbell incline curls to avoid swing the weight and using too much shoulder. Performing the flat bench dumbbell press I've complete eliminated the beach and use the full foam roller; this helps engage the core, but it also great for those seeking benches when the gym is packed.
Change your diet? Eating meat, eggs, and beans IS eating normal food with a high protein profile. In fact, I'd say not eating an adequate diet from real food is leaving gains on the table. Fats and carbs matter too. Try 0.8 grams per pound of lean body mass and see how your body responds to that. Always calculate what protein you need based on your lean body mass weight and not your total weight. Rebalance your macros to get there using real food. Leave the protein powder alone for regular consumption and use it when you can't hit your protein for the day because you don't have food prepared to do so.
High intake relative to what though? The numbers I tossed out there lead me from 144 grams at 0.8 of lean body mass to 250 grams based on 1 gram per pound. That is one helluva swing. I can hit about 84 to 100 grams of protein for a one pound chicken breast depending on if I go by the label which says 21 grams or the Google answer which is 25 grams per 4 ounces. Again...nothing is consistent. But for the sake of argument. I can hit 100 grams for one pound of chicken and three eggs every day. Another 44 isn't that tough to tally up by the time I toss cheese on my eggs and salad. The rest of the food I eat has decent protein as well so I wouldn't be surprised if I hit 150 daily. A week ago I was eating two one pound breasts a day so that 250 wasn't hard to hit either. Personally, I've done the big ass tub of expensive powder and it didn't do anything more than drain my wallet. A two pound package of chicken breast is like four bucks in comparison and I have had no issues eating. If I was worried about it, I'd probably add milk to my meals to get the calcium too.
The good science on the subject pretty much all backs up about 0.8g per lb. The better method is of course basing it on lean body mass, but most people haven't got the slightest clue what their lean body mass is, especially given how inaccurate the average body fat scales are.
You might be an outlier, but for most people, that's the spot to be aiming for... with real food ideally, but with powders / bars if required. Obviously this gets much harder to do if you're on a severe cut, and can happen pretty easily when you're bulking.
You might be an outlier, but for most people, that's the spot to be aiming for... with real food ideally, but with powders / bars if required. Obviously this gets much harder to do if you're on a severe cut, and can happen pretty easily when you're bulking.
Eh...don't know that I'd say the more the better. I mean if you shovel nothing but chicken down all day and cram like 400 grams of protein your not going to Hulk out because of it. There is a point of diminishing returns and you still have to balance the protein against carbs and fats. A lot of the things I've read that aren't broscience tend to tell people to start at the lower end of the spectrum and raise as you mature in training. The bro's basically say shovel protein in like its going out of style cuz mad gainz yo...
My kidneys disagree. If i eat anything over 200-250 i start pissing foam and have pain.
https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/the-effects-of-eating-truckloads-of-protein
https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-more-protein-equals-more-muscle
Protein is a major building block of muscle. It doesn't hurt to eat a lot (unless you have some kidney dysfunction). Obviously, you aren't going to eat 100% protein because you need carbs and fat as well.
But I mean, if you are going to build something, you want to make sure you have enough material. I'm not advocating to eat whole chickens every meal lol
https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-more-protein-equals-more-muscle
Protein is a major building block of muscle. It doesn't hurt to eat a lot (unless you have some kidney dysfunction). Obviously, you aren't going to eat 100% protein because you need carbs and fat as well.
But I mean, if you are going to build something, you want to make sure you have enough material. I'm not advocating to eat whole chickens every meal lol
There's definitely a point of diminishing returns, especially if it means you're not getting enough fat in your diet.
so I've run 5km every day for the last 7 days and I have yet to lose any weight.
Yeah, I know it is because I am eating more. I just seem to overcompensate naturally when I run. I will have to track my calories the next couple of days to make sure I lose weight.
I'm aiming for 31 days in a row, then to switch into a far saner 1 run per week plan.
After 7 days I don't really recommend doing anything like this to anyone except someone who is already a hardcore runner. I don't think my legs get enough time to recover, so I run slower, and I make myself run even slower because I am afraid if I push it I will get shin splints and so will not be able to complete the challenge. I don't have them yet but I do feel some slight tenderness in my shins.
On the plus side, my knees are okay, great actually, and my ankle that I sprained 3 weeks ago is 100% no weakness at all. My V02 max has increased slightly, so thats good. I just have to start controlling my diet or this will have been a waste of time for sure.
That said I am not sure if I will increase my 5km record until I have had a couple days to rest in between runs. Running everyday is not giving me enough time to recover to set a record. It could change as I go though, maybe my system will adapt and start recovering faster.
Yeah, I know it is because I am eating more. I just seem to overcompensate naturally when I run. I will have to track my calories the next couple of days to make sure I lose weight.
I'm aiming for 31 days in a row, then to switch into a far saner 1 run per week plan.
After 7 days I don't really recommend doing anything like this to anyone except someone who is already a hardcore runner. I don't think my legs get enough time to recover, so I run slower, and I make myself run even slower because I am afraid if I push it I will get shin splints and so will not be able to complete the challenge. I don't have them yet but I do feel some slight tenderness in my shins.
On the plus side, my knees are okay, great actually, and my ankle that I sprained 3 weeks ago is 100% no weakness at all. My V02 max has increased slightly, so thats good. I just have to start controlling my diet or this will have been a waste of time for sure.
That said I am not sure if I will increase my 5km record until I have had a couple days to rest in between runs. Running everyday is not giving me enough time to recover to set a record. It could change as I go though, maybe my system will adapt and start recovering faster.
Well....this sucks. Last Thursday I was doing front squats and felt some pain in my left knee. Thought about pushing through but it was enough that I was putting the weight on the right side too much so I stopped and just went on with the rest of my workout that didn't involve squatting movements. Went out last night to do squat day and same thing. Only this time, even just the bar warming up was causing issues. I scrapped the whole night since basically everything but calf raises was going to be squat type movements. So now I'm going to have to figure this thing out and do some reading. I'm guessing form by the sound is a large part of the problem. So will need to start focusing on that. The rest of this week should be ok if I drop the front squats again and then work trip next week so that time off of lifting may be good.
Yeah I folded and bought some protein powder. Should be coming in a week. :)
I'll be posting around here often from now.
I'm retaking a year of medical school and working through some mental health issues while trying to better myself. Over summer, gym has been the only thing keeping me sane and I've noticed some gains. Though a poor diet lately hasn't made it all ideal.
I want to spend the year to really push myself and develop, personally.
From the start of next week I plan to start eating clean to maximise on it all and achevie my final form.
Breakfast - Oats + mixed berry smoothie
Lunch - Tuna in sandwhich thins + fruit
Preworkout - Chicken pasta
Post workout - Protein (Salmon, chicken, Turkey burgers or steak), carbs (sweet potatoes or brown rice) and veg.
I'll allow myself a peanut butter + nutella bagel as a snack and one take away per week and a nandos meal every other week.
I also plan on adding MACA powder and chia seeds to my morning smoothie and cinammon to my oats as I've looked into beneficial affects of them all.
I don't plan on counting macros and stuff. If I do, it'll be at the start of 2019. At the moment its about self discipline and allowing myself to adapt to a stricter diet.
Just a quick question. For almost a month I've been training almost every day. My routine being Chest + Biceps, Back, Shoulders + Triceps and legs. Is it sustainable to train almost every day? I would like to try as it helps me kill time and provides an escape. I plan on introducing a day for general cardio and core exercises as I settle in with university.
I'm retaking a year of medical school and working through some mental health issues while trying to better myself. Over summer, gym has been the only thing keeping me sane and I've noticed some gains. Though a poor diet lately hasn't made it all ideal.
I want to spend the year to really push myself and develop, personally.
From the start of next week I plan to start eating clean to maximise on it all and achevie my final form.
Breakfast - Oats + mixed berry smoothie
Lunch - Tuna in sandwhich thins + fruit
Preworkout - Chicken pasta
Post workout - Protein (Salmon, chicken, Turkey burgers or steak), carbs (sweet potatoes or brown rice) and veg.
I'll allow myself a peanut butter + nutella bagel as a snack and one take away per week and a nandos meal every other week.
I also plan on adding MACA powder and chia seeds to my morning smoothie and cinammon to my oats as I've looked into beneficial affects of them all.
I don't plan on counting macros and stuff. If I do, it'll be at the start of 2019. At the moment its about self discipline and allowing myself to adapt to a stricter diet.
Just a quick question. For almost a month I've been training almost every day. My routine being Chest + Biceps, Back, Shoulders + Triceps and legs. Is it sustainable to train almost every day? I would like to try as it helps me kill time and provides an escape. I plan on introducing a day for general cardio and core exercises as I settle in with university.
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You definitely don't want to be training the same muscles every day. Most programs have you working on upper body twice a week and lower body twice a week and resting 2-3 days. You can do cardio on your rest days if you don't want to sit around doing nothing.
This might be of interest given the recent discussion....
https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/10/latest-study-shows-that-33-gkg-high.html?m=1
https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/10/latest-study-shows-that-33-gkg-high.html?m=1
Needed 145x5 on ohp today, got 145x8. Getting ready for temps to cool down and finally start using my outdoor gym setup. Also got a softub for cold hydrotherapy after lifting. Will soon install that.
Just stopping in to say I've been lifting for over 4 months now and I'm proud of that fact. Probably the longest I've stuck with something that really pushes me every single week. I'm down almost 30 pounds.
Here's a question... testosterone, I was tested and was low-normal. Is that a problem? I'm getting mixed answers from everyone.
My doctor downplayed it, and obviously in the end I'll defer to her, but I'm reading that doctors tend to just look at the number and not the symptoms (I have all of them).
What worries me is it actually got lower after all of this heavy lifting and weight loss.
Here's a question... testosterone, I was tested and was low-normal. Is that a problem? I'm getting mixed answers from everyone.
My doctor downplayed it, and obviously in the end I'll defer to her, but I'm reading that doctors tend to just look at the number and not the symptoms (I have all of them).
What worries me is it actually got lower after all of this heavy lifting and weight loss.
Your cutting, so it will drop. Mine was and probably still is low. I've lost a bit of weight but have gone back to more maintenance and added carbs back in and feel much better. I'm guessing your 40ish since that's when we start asking that question...
32 actually. I've not been feeling "correct" since I was about 26, and looking up the symptoms of low testosterone caused some concern.
I know that TRT is a big business and it seems very predatory, but I'm just looking to get back to a normal range to see if it does anything at all.
You didn't indicate how much you want to lose, but if your down 30, I'm guessing there's still another chunk to lose. Here's my two cents. You've lost a significant amount in a decent amount of time. I would eat at maintenance for like a month or two. As I understand things, cutting puts your body in stress to lose weight which takes its toll on your hormones. Also, weight lifting in general takes its toll on top of reducing calories. So if your eating maintenance for your new size over a period of time, your allowing your body the chance to catch up and do the repairs it needs without constantly battering it between low calories and high demand. That should bring your hormone levels back up some. Maybe try that and see how things go before looking to more expensive solutions.
I have about 20 more pounds I want to lose, but eating at maintenance for a little bit is a solid idea.
Haven't posted in a while here, but I wanted to share the article that has pushed me to almost always use the trap bar over a barbell for deadlifts.
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/trap-bar-deadlifts/
I much prefer the trap bar now and I've felt great switching over.
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/trap-bar-deadlifts/
I much prefer the trap bar now and I've felt great switching over.
You should pick whatever deadlift variation works best for you, what feels best.
Conventional works for some, not so much for me (too much lower back involvement).
Sumo is great for me (a lot of glute activation, so minimizes lower back involvement).
Trap works for beginning because it gives a better mechanical advantage, and gives you lots of room (whereas the bar hits your legs and that's it). It isn't the best if you want to work on the hip hinge. I feel tremendous stress (compression) on my spine when I trap deadlift because your body is so upright like a squat.
The only time I trap dead is when I am farmer carrying.
Conventional works for some, not so much for me (too much lower back involvement).
Sumo is great for me (a lot of glute activation, so minimizes lower back involvement).
Trap works for beginning because it gives a better mechanical advantage, and gives you lots of room (whereas the bar hits your legs and that's it). It isn't the best if you want to work on the hip hinge. I feel tremendous stress (compression) on my spine when I trap deadlift because your body is so upright like a squat.
The only time I trap dead is when I am farmer carrying.
I can agree with do what works best for you.
I had messaged the author of that article to talk high handles vs low and he said something similar. Do what feels best
I had messaged the author of that article to talk high handles vs low and he said something similar. Do what feels best
lol if you want an ass, try doing glute bridges or cable pull throughs. Bulgarian split squats are also great when you lean forward a bit so more stress is on the booty.
Or you can take up hockey/speed skating/sprinting. Massive booty involvement.
https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-the-silly-looking-exercise-your-glutes-need
https://www.t-nation.com/training/the-best-way-to-build-your-butt
What do you guys and gals think about bodyweight fitness, specifically the recommended routine from reddit?
https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine
https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine
Glute bridges have never done shit for me. I can't do anything on ice either... last 3/5 times I've been on the ice I've ended up in hospital. lol
I do split squats, but for me it seems to be massively quad dominant.
I do split squats, but for me it seems to be massively quad dominant.
:P
You gotta make sure you feel it in the butt and not your lower back. When doing a bridge you won't be arched, you will only be bringing your hips in-line with your body.
Oh man that's too bad, skating is lots of fun!
For the split squat, if you lean forward it makes it into a pseudo hip hinge so it should use more glute. But if glute bridges don't make you feel anything in the butt, then maybe your mind-muscle connection isn't there. Try just standing and squeezing your butt. If you feel lower back then it is compensating and that's no bueno.
Having a butt pump is the weirdest feeling lmao
Needed 180x5 on bench, got 180x11. If it wasn't 120am and my son asleep is have gone more but didn't want to risk a loud rerack and wake him up.
Got around 30 15lb and 35 10lb bumper plates for my outdoor gym setup. I'll likely have to get a yoke soon too but we'll see how far I can go with farmer handles and a full sled first.
Got around 30 15lb and 35 10lb bumper plates for my outdoor gym setup. I'll likely have to get a yoke soon too but we'll see how far I can go with farmer handles and a full sled first.
I used to have a problem with butt activation because the back of my thighs used to activate earlier than glutes. I actually solved it just by adding simple hip abduction machine workout before squats and deadlifts. Pretty easy and straightforward way to wake them up a bit before bigger movements. Just something to also try, if the form isn't the problem.
I certainly love the butt pump feeling...
I'm doing the bwf routine just mentioned but doing inverted rows ain't working for me, would replacing that with dumb bell rows cause any problems? Are they as directly comparable as they seem and would doing just that upper body excercise with weights cause any imbalances?
(Doubt it makes any difference but I'll mention I also do yoga with Adrienne)
Starting from scratch it's been great to ease me into things, I have motivation to do it and you can progress from easy exercises to more challenging ones. However a lot of the exercises in latest version of the routine need equipment and it takes a lot of time.If you're starting from scratch too they also have a minimalist routine.
(Doubt it makes any difference but I'll mention I also do yoga with Adrienne)
Starting from scratch it's been great to ease me into things, I have motivation to do it and you can progress from easy exercises to more challenging ones. However a lot of the exercises in latest version of the routine need equipment and it takes a lot of time.If you're starting from scratch too they also have a minimalist routine.
